After losing two Champions League finals in the previous four seasons, Juventus bought Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid for £105m in 2018 to go to another level.
Now four years on, after offloading the Portuguese superstar and then announcing record losses last month, Italy’s biggest club are battling with Maccabi Haifa for the prize of the Europa League place from Group H. The glamour home fixture with Paris Saint-Germain has turned into a battle of survival for the Old Lady of Turin languishing in eighth place in Serie A and decimated by injuries.
And the financial implications of a November European elimination will only increase the desire of Juventus - and president Andrea Agnelli - to see a European Super League. Defeat to PSG - who have Neymar suspended - and a point for Maccabi Haifa against Benfica would see the Juventus dream turn into a nightmare.
